Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran demanded that Higher Education Minister R. Bindu be expelled from the Cabinet.
He said the Minister had extended the service of the Kannur University Vice Chancellor by bypassing university norms and ignoring the counsel of Governor and Chancellor of universities Arif Mohammed Khan.
She had played second fiddle to backdoor appointments in universities for relatives of Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M] leaders.
Mr. Surendran said the government had appointed political cronies via the backdoor in universities. It should revoke the illegal appointments and order a judicial inquiry into the clear cases of brazen nepotism.
Mr. Khan had felt fenced in by the government’s machinations to undermine his constitutional role as Chancellor. The administration constantly ignored the Chancellor’s counsel. Instead, it used questionable legal opinion provided conveniently by CPI(M) lawyers as a fig leaf to overturn the Governor’s advice repeatedly.
‘Lost faith’
Finally, a disappointed Mr. Khan had asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to divest him of the post of the Chancellor. The Governor had delivered a slap on the face of the government. Mr. Khan had registered his lack of confidence in the Pinarayi Vijayan government. The constitutional head of the State had lost faith in his government. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) administration had lost the moral right to continue in office.
‘CM should quit’
The Governor had listed the backdoor appointments and illegal extension of service of university officials. His implicit criticism of the government had the effect of a thousand bullets. Political propriety demanded that Mr. Vijayan quit forthwith as Chief Minister.
The CPI(M) had instituted cell rule in Kerala. Its cronies and apparatchiks had permeated every aspect of governance, including universities and law enforcement.
Party membership and proximity to Mr. Vijayan, not merit, was the criteria for appointment.
